Stocking



J. C. MATLACK.

STOCKING.

APPLICATION FILED Dnc. Iz, 191s.

1,352,078. Patentedsept. 7, 1920.

i Bywmw- UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. MATLACK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NOTASEME HOSIERY COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STOCKING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. *7, 1920.

Application filed December 12, 1918. Serial No. 266,416.

To all whom t vmay concern:

" Be it known that I, JAMES C. MATLACK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at and the remainder of the fabric on a circular fashioning machine provided only with cylinder needles. The number of cylinder needles in both machines is the same. The dial needles, which are arranged to alternate with the cylinder needles on the rib machine, correspond in number thereto.

. Hence, in a single circumferential course of `with each point. considerable time, care and skill.

stitches, there are twice as many stitches in the rib-knit fabric as in the plain-knit fabric.

In transferring the fabric from one mapoints on the transfer ring, it is necessary to engage two loops of the rib-knit fabric This operation requires The object of my invention is to expedite the transfer of the rib-knit fabric to the transfer ring. To this end the invention comprises a rib-knit fabric providedv with one circumferential row of loops formed by only one set of needles, the other set of needles remaining inactive during the formation of such loops, the said loops therefore corresponding in number to the points on the transfer ring and being provided for transfer to such points,.,thereby simplifying and expediting the transfer operation. The invention also comprises a rib-knit fabric in which such circumferential row of loops is associated with such tuck stitching of the thread, performed by manipulating both sets of needles in a peculiar way, as to form barriers toprevent the accidental raveling out or pulling through of the loops.

In knitting the fabric with the circumferential row of loops for engagement with" 4the points of the transfer ring, I knit, after the formation of such course of loops, a certaln number of courses of rib-knit fabric which, after the transfer of the loops to the transfer ring, or after the completion of the stocking, are raveled out.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure l is a pictorial view of a complete stocking. s

Fig.l 2 is a similar view of the rib knit top and a short length of plain knit fabric.

Fig. 3 is anenlarged view of several partial coursesof both fabrics adjacent to their line of attachment.

Fig. 4 is a still further enlarged view of several courses of the rib knit fabric on both sides of the row of transfer loops, as said fabric appears before it is transferred, the interlacing of the thread being shown in .,detail.

It will be understood that the fabric shown in Figs. 3 and 4, particularly in Fig. 4, is considerably distorted in respect to the exaggeration of the open spaces formed by the threads, these spaces being virtually closed in the actual fabric.

It will also be understood that the particular interlacing of threads shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is unessential, as other specific arrangements of stitches may be worked out by skilled designers which will serve to securely hold the loops in their extended open position.

The completed stocking Lcomprises the i plain knit leg a and the rib knit top b.

rv is the row or course of transfer loops, formed on the rib-knit fabric, for application to the points of the transfer rings and which forms the connection between the rib knit top and the plain knit leg.

It will be understood that I use the term plain knit 1 leg in contradistinction to the more elastic rib-knit top and not as implying the absence of fancy or ornamental stitching in the leg.

The main body of the rib knit top comprises a number of courses of stitches formed, as hereinbefore explained, by two sets of needles-cylinder and dial-in a manner well known in the. art.

In Fig. 4 the vertical rows or wales`I of stitches formed by the cylinder" needles are lettered C, while the wales formed by dial needles are lettered D.

A few courses before the course of transfer loops 1: is knitted, the cylinder needles are operated in the normal way to draw down stitches and cast loops while the dial needles are manipulatedl so as to take on the thread butv not cast it off. Another course'is then knitted on the cylinder needles alone, the dial needles being positioned so as to neither take on the thread nor cast it o. Each of the dial needles now holds two stitches and each of the-cylinder needles one stitch. The wales formed by the dial needles thus contain elongated loops the bights of which lie in the same course and the ends of each of which are connected respectively to av loop of the same wale and loops of adjacent plain knit wales to formi tuck stitching. The last two courses, together with the immediately preceding course of regular knitting, form the length of fabric e, Fig. 4.

The described sequence of operations may then be repeated, forming the length of fabric f. At the last course, however, the cylinder needles have operated to cast their loops but not to take on thread, thus forming the row of free loops y, and during the next course the dial needles alone operate, forming the row of loops xthat are intended for application to the transfer points- After the row of loops is formed, courses g are knit in a manner similar to the section of fabric e or f, after which a few courses of regular rib work may be knit. The section of fabric g is lmit to start new cylinder stitches which were dropped prior to formingthe row of loops w.

he sections of knit fabric e and f constitute barriers which serve to prevent the fabric from being raveled back c,by pulling out the loops y.

The rib top is then applied to the transfer ring (not shown) by slipping one loop a: over each point. The loops are then transferred to a plain knitting fashioning machine, upon which the remainder of the stocking is knit in the usual way.

The row of loose loops y is subsequently bound in by a line of stitching z, as diagrammatically indicated in Fi 3, and the short section of rib knit fabric eyond the loops is raveled out;

While I have illustrated the invention as applied to ladies stockings, it is obvious that it is equally applicable to childrens stockings, in. which the so-called top constitutes practically the entire leg.

i. Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A stocking comprising a plain knit tubular part having a given number of stitches to a course, a relatively elastic rib top having a greater number of stitches to a course, the rib top adjacent the plain knit top comprisin a series of plain knit wales and a series o tuck stitch wales alternating with the plain knit wales, the last loops of the tuck stitched wales being equally spaced apart and uniting the rib knit part to the equally spaced apart end loops of the plain tubular part, the last loops of the plain knit wales of the top being disconnected from the plain knit tubular part said plain knit wals of the top being heldfrom raveling by said tuck stitched wales.

2.-\A stocking comprising a plain knit tubular part having a given number of stitches to a course, a relatively elastic rib knit top having a greater number of stitches to a course, and two courses of loose loops along the edge portions of the rib top, the loops of one course being equally spaced apart and connecting the rib top with the equally spaced apart end vloops of the plain knit top, the fabric of the rib top adjacent to said two courses of loose loops being tuck stitched to form a barrier to prevent the fabric from being'raveled back by pulling out the second course of loose loops.

3. A stocking comprising a plain knit tubular part having a given number of stitches to a course, a rib knit tubular top having twice said given number of stitches to a'course, and two courses of loose loops along the edge portion ofthe rib top, the loops of one course alternating with the loops of the other course, one course of loops i connecting the rib top with the plain knit part and the other row of loops being confined against the adjacent part of the fabric by stitching.

4. A stocking comprising a plain knit i tubular part havingv a given number of stitches to a course, a relatively elastic rib knit top having a greater number of stitches to a course, the r1b knit top comprising a series of plain knit wales and an alternating series of wales, each Wale of the last series containing a plurality of elongated loops the bights of which lie in the same course and stitches to a course, a relatively elastic rib knit top having a greater number of stitches to a course, the rib knit top comprising a series of plain knit Wales and an alternatlng series of Wales, each Wale of the last series containing a plurality of elongated loops the bights of Which 11e in the same course and the ends of each of Which are connected Irespectively to a loop ofthe same Wale and loops of adjacent plain knit Wales to form tuck stitching, said elongated loops being connected, through loops 1n thesame Wales, With the end loops of the plain knit tubular part, there being along the edge of the rib top, in saidalternating series of Wales, and in the same course in Which the bights of said elongated loops are located, plain knit loops connected directly one With another.

6. A stocking comprising a plain knit tubular part having a given number of stitches to a course, a relatively elastic rib knit top having a greater number ofstitches to a course, the rib knit top comprising a series of plain knit Wales and an alternatin series of Wales, each Wale of one series o Wales in the rib knit top containing al plurality of elongated loops the bights f Which lie in the same course and the ends oli each of Which are connected respectively to` a loop of the same Wale and loops of adjacent Wales to form tuck stitching, said elongated loops being connected, through loops in the same Wales, with the end loops of the plain tubular part, the other series of Wales in the rib knit top vbeing disconnected from the plain knit'tubular part but held from raveling by saidl tuck stitching.

In testimony of Which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pa., on this 6th day of December, 1918.

JAMES C. MATLACK. 

